Millions of private firearms are in the hands of Americans today. Unfortunately, many of these are unsecured, unlocked and even loaded, readily available to family, friends and thieves. It is not necessary to buy a firearm when so many are readily available for immediate use.

When I entered Canada to hunt moose, border officers informed me that if I let my rifle leave my direct possession, I would be held responsible for any illegal acts involving my weapon; startling but sensible.

Any effort to control gun violence must include strict criminal and civil accountability of all owners who fail to take reasonable steps to keep firearms out of the hands of others.

KEN DOLLINGER McMinnville

The NRA has a paid membership of 4.2 million. The USA has a population of 312 million and the majority of them want some type of gun control.

You would think the NRA would see the writing on the wall and know that some type of gun control is imminent. Rather than take a defensive stand, it should take a proactive stand and help mold the upcoming legislation, rather than fight it.

There is no movement to ban gun ownership, just to control what is reasonable under the Second Amendment.

STEVE HALL Hillsboro

As a means of curbing violence, traditional regulation of firearms has not and will not work. We need an approach consistent with the American principles of private property rights and responsibilities, and with the Second Amendment.

My suggestion is to attach strict liability to the ownership of firearms. The legal owner of a firearm (pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc.) should be criminally and civilly liable for any act committed with that firearm. The criminal liability means that the legal owner of a firearm is an accomplice to any crime committed with the use of the firearm. The civil liability means that victims of crimes committed with the use of the firearm may recover damages from the owner. Civil and criminal liability are not negated by the theft of the firearm.

Owners of firearms may keep their guns, but they must recognize that they are fully responsible for them.

JAY CHARLAND Salem

About the only thing we haven't heard from the left on gun control is "the science is settled."

But the science has been settled, and it says that gun control hasn't worked and likely never will.

The strange thing about science: It doesn't care what side of the political aisle you sit on.

GEORGE SCHNEIDER Gresham

I own two lethal weapons.

I am required to have each of them uniquely identified and individually licensed every two years. I am required to always have third-party liability insurance for each of them and carry proof of that insurance. The license and insurance costs are significant ongoing expenses.

I had to pass an exam before being allowed to purchase a permit to use them freely, and I am required to renew that permit every eight years, only after passing a vision test.

The two lethal weapons are my two cars.

Why should the licensing and conditions of use requirements for guns and their owners be any different?

JOHN LEWIS Southwest Portland

The genie is out of the bottle, and the bottle got broken. For all future sales of all guns, there should be:

1. A stringent intelligence test.

2. Both a state and federal license.

3. A large tax (much like cigarettes) on the sale.

4. A liability insurance policy that must be renewed each year.

C.N. SMITH Southeast Portland

More gun legislation is a ridiculous effort. It demonstrates a very scary oversimplification of the issues behind violence in this country. With that logic, we should ban cars because the Newtown shooter also stole a car and drove to the school to commit this heinous act.

The problem is that gun control is a lazy response. The only thing that would make a substantive change to mass killings is a better mental health care system. There needs to be a lot more funding for research to development of treatments. Additionally, there needs to be better mental health reporting to keep seriously mentally ill persons from buying guns.

The bans people are proposing are lazy responses to a serious, complicated problem and trample on the rights of law-abiding citizens in this country.

KELLY S. THORNTON Northeast Portland

TriMet overtime

I was amazed to learn that some TriMet drivers work 18-22 hour shifts in a 24-hour period ("TriMet waking to problem of driver fatigue," Jan. 6).

Obviously, safety issues are a crucial priority. However, of major concern is the responsibility and accountability of the managers who supervise these drivers on a daily basis. Who approves the time sheets or time cards of drivers who are allowed to work these hours? How can these situations even occur without some degree of control or monitoring of overtime?

Let's hope that safety issues, common sense and a clearly defined policy and process for working overtime take precedent over union contract provisions.

TOM KELLEY Northwest Portland

It appears that TriMet is suffering from a culture created by weak management and a strong union.

It's time for the board of directors to change the culture by mandating that managers are accountable for the actions of the employees they directly oversee.

If absenteeism is an issue, employees should be required to produce a doctor's excuse after taking time off for illness. If overtime is an issue, first-line supervisors should be required to rotate OT among all drivers. If accidents are an issue, first-line supervisors should be required to ride along and monitor performance. First-line supervisors who are reluctant to monitor their employees should be relieved of their duties.

I worked for a company with strong management and unionized employees (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) for many years before moving to Oregon. Standards were high and consequences were understood.

TriMet's managers need to step up and perform their job duties.

TONY SLEVA Hillsboro

The only "glaring" shortcoming I see is General Manager Neil McFarlane ("TriMet boss seeks OT audit," Jan. 9). Where does the buck stop at TriMet?

And why would he need an audit when this is such a no-brainer? Create some basic safety guidelines.

Use the audit money for new hires. If this is a problem with the union, work with it.

THOMAS STONE North Portland

Regarding "OT issue alarms TriMet board," (Jan. 10): How can any member of TriMet's board of directors be unaware of driver overtime abuse and resulting dangerous driver fatigue?

How would TriMet riders feel if they boarded an aircraft with pilots subject to the same scrutiny and regulation, or lack thereof? Driving a large, heavy, powerful vehicle in close proximity to pedestrians, bicyclists and other vehicles, in virtually all weather conditions, requires training, skill and attention on a par with airline pilots. It also requires strict regulation and oversight regarding minimum driver rest requirements and, like pilots, minimum time from "bottle to throttle."

It appears that public safety is being sacrificed in the quest to make mass transportation affordable.